Developed from scratch in Brazil, the project reaches the pre-clinical development stage as the country seeks to reduce its dependence on imported pharmaceutical ingredients
Milan / Rio de Janeiro / São Paulo — October 2026 — Science Biotech, a biotechnology intelligence and healthcare research and development company; Nortec Química, Latin America's largest independent manufacturer of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs); and Stin Pharma announce significant progress in the development of a novel molecule for the treatment of chronic venous disease and varicose veins. The announcement is being made at CPhI 2026, in Milan, one of the world's leading pharmaceutical industry events.
Developed entirely in Brazil, the project combines two capabilities that rarely come together in the country: the discovery and development of a novel pharmaceutical molecule and the industrial capability to manufacture it domestically. It has now reached the pre-clinical development stage.
Unlike many innovative drug candidates, which develop manufacturing capability only at a later stage, this project was conceived from the outset with a domestic production pathway — from laboratory synthesis through industrial scale-up under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). That matters in a country that remains highly dependent on imported inputs: according to industry estimates, Brazil imports approximately 90% to 95% of the pharmaceutical ingredients used in its domestic market.
From Brazilian science to an industrially viable pharmaceutical ingredient
Behind the milestone is a partnership that spans the pharmaceutical value chain. The initial funding for the pre-clinical development program is provided by Science Biotech, which last year partnered with Stin Pharma, forming a joint venture for this development. Nortec was then contracted to develop the new molecule using a co-crystal-based approach — an innovative pharmaceutical technology developed entirely in Brazil.
About a year after the partnership began, the API production stage has been completed, and the co-crystal formation is now under development. This milestone — obtaining the new API — is relevant to the patent process and to business discussions with investors and pharmaceutical partners. It is expected that, in the coming months, a new patent will be filed (internationally, via PCT), and that additional indications, as well as variations of this molecule, will be explored. Once the pre-clinical and clinical development programs are successfully completed, the partners expect to pursue regulatory registration, commercialization and potential international licensing.
Within this structure, Science Biotech leads the scientific and clinical development strategy, focused on generating the clinical evidence required to advance the molecule toward regulatory approval.
Nortec Química, in turn, is responsible — through its CDMO and R&D platform — for the development and production of the new API, from laboratory synthesis through process development and industrial scale-up.
Stin Pharma, finally, contributes its pharmaceutical development and commercial capabilities, supporting the future registration and commercialization of the products emerging from the partnership.
A molecule developed in Brazil, for a global disease
The new candidate is being developed for chronic venous disease and varicose veins of the lower limbs, conditions that affect millions of people worldwide. Varicose veins are more than a cosmetic concern: chronic venous disease may progress to pain, heaviness, swelling and skin changes and, in more advanced cases, venous ulcers — affecting patients' quality of life and placing a significant burden on healthcare systems.
For Eduardo Ramacciotti — vascular surgeon, professor at USP-Ribeirão Preto, medical director and co-founder of Science Biotech — this represents an important unmet medical need.
“Varicose veins are not merely an aesthetic condition. Chronic venous disease can progress to pain, edema, skin changes and ulcers. A new therapeutic approach focused specifically on the pathophysiology of venous disease could represent an important opportunity for patients and healthcare systems.”
Beyond the clinical opportunity, the project also carries a strategic dimension for the country.
“Our objective is not simply to develop another pharmaceutical ingredient. We want to demonstrate that Brazil can combine scientific innovation, pharmaceutical development and industrial manufacturing to create new medicines from within the country. Brazil still relies heavily on imported APIs, so developing a new molecule while simultaneously building the capability to manufacture it domestically is an important step toward a more innovative and resilient pharmaceutical ecosystem,” says Marcelo Mansur, CEO of Nortec Química.
From API development to a potential new medicine
In practical terms, the collaboration began approximately one year ago, and the new active pharmaceutical ingredient has already been obtained at laboratory scale. The project is now focused on a critical stage of the process: researchers are evaluating the formation of the desired crystalline structure through the combination of the newly developed molecule with another component. If the targeted structure is experimentally confirmed and the subsequent milestones are achieved, the partners expect to pursue intellectual-property protection and advance the candidate through the pre-clinical program.
More broadly, the project illustrates a different model for pharmaceutical innovation in Brazil: developing the scientific asset and the manufacturing pathway in parallel, rather than treating industrial production as a later-stage challenge.
Moving Brazil further up the pharmaceutical value chain
For Science Biotech, the project reinforces a strategy focused on identifying promising scientific opportunities, developing them through robust pre-clinical and clinical programs, and building partnerships capable of taking innovative assets from discovery to commercialization. For Nortec, it is part of a broader strategy to expand its role from API manufacturing into higher-value pharmaceutical R&D and CDMO activities, supported by initiatives under Brazil's BNDES innovation financing programs.
The ultimate goal is to create a complete innovation pathway within Brazil — from scientific concept and molecule development to clinical evidence, regulatory registration and industrial production — creating an asset with potential relevance beyond the Brazilian market. The project is therefore not only about developing a new molecule for varicose veins: it is a demonstration of how Brazilian science, pharmaceutical R&D and industrial manufacturing can be integrated to create new therapeutic assets with global potential.
Media contact
Tree Comunicação — Heloiza Carvalho · +55 11 99908-2717 · heloiza@tree.inf.br